Apparatus for handling and treating rails



Oct. 16, 1923.-

' E. F. ENTWISLE ET AL APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND TREATING RAILS Filed Mgrch 21 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iareafara 5 residing at Steelton, Dauphin County, Stat of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new Patented Get. 16, 1923.

iris I stares EDWARD T. ENTWIsLE, FRANK EnoWELLs, AND LESTER LfLnAoHr'oF sTEELToN,-

V PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS' To BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANYyOF E HLEHEM,

PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA; i

' APPAItATUs iron HANDLING AND, TREATINGIRAILS.

y Application ma March '21, 1921., saam.-4a, s l

T all whom it may concern:

Beit known that We, EDWARD EN WIsLE, FRANK E. .HOWELLS, and LEsTrJRL' LEACH, citizens of the United Statesand and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Handling and Treating Bails, of which the following is a SPQCifiCEItiOD}. I

This inventionrelates .to means for easily, etlicient y, rapidly and without obstruction, h andling and treating by the Sandberg proc'-' ess set forth in Patent No. 1,178,352, April a, 1916, hot rails leaving the rolls of the mill Where they are given their final form.

As isvwell known, the hot rails leaving the rolls are usually carried to a hot bed'by a roller line on which they lie in succession longitudinally on their sides. The, present 9 invention resides in the means for'removing in succession each rail asit comes to posi- 7 tion opposite the hotbed, from the roller line to' the hot bed, for automatically. turn ing it on its longitudinal axisfrolnits side 7 position to an upright position, and moving it laterally over the hotbed toposition below an apparatus for treatin'g'it by the Sandberg process, lifting it from the hot bed to posit-ionifor treatment. in said apparatus out of the path of. other ra1lsand dra 'ing mechanism on the hotbed, lowering it after treatment to the hot bed, and,

then moving it over the hot bed in the oppo1 site direction from the roller line out of the ay of incoming rails to be treated.

lt contemplates the use of any number of:

treating devices desired or found necessary in disposlng of the rails as they are supplied by the roller line, since the arrangement-is such'that While a rail is being'treated in," one-apparatus by the Sandberg process,an-. other rail may be moved under, that apparatus to or from another treating apparatus.

The novel. features of "the invention will more fully appear from the following de? scription and'claiingtaken' with the dr wings. v In the drawings:

Figurefl is a side vievv of anapparatus embodying .our invention. V, V. F1gure'2 is a planv ewiof the apparatus partly broken away; and

. Figure 3 is 11 eli lalyg d d grammat c,

tilting and; turning the rail.

illustration of the means anddoperation in 7 I I I As shown in Figures, vl and 2, a roller slightly conical to facilitate the removal of 1. p I th rails laterally from the roller line to a the hot bed; The rail 13 normally lies on the rollers on its side, as illustrated in Fig,'

ures l and 2. ,The hot bed 12 is made ,up

of parallel steel rails llspacedapa'rt and.

carried. 4 by suitable supports as .is' rwell known. Arranged above thehot bed 12; there is a series of devices identical 1n struc-- i i ture and operation for subjectingthe'hot rails along their upper Wear surfaces to a regulated coolingtreatment .to give to the metal certain desirable, characteristics in.

accordance with the processset forth inthe Sandberg patent, two of such devices, marked 15 and 16, beingsh'own for pur- -boses of illustration. The'SDecificconstrue .80

tion of these devices forms noapart of the present inventionfexcept as a parthof the" combination, 'butis covered by an application filed byf Edward Fr Entwisle and Frank E. Howells, Feb. 4;, 1321, Serial No; 442,531, and therefore a general statement oftheir construction and, operation will be sufficient for alfull present invention.

understanding of-the Referring-to the appara tus marked 15,.

it Willbe noted that itv includes a pipe 17 for a gaseous cooling fluid .having difschargei perforations or openings I along its-under J surface, andftliat it"is' mounted a material distance above the hot bed; 12 and substantially parallel thereto, leaving sufiicient open unobstructedjspace. below it for. the

'theloperating parts are, furthermore ,2 pre ferably parallel to the roller line so that a 3 passage of'jrailsfand their dragging equip-s series of longitudinally spaced liftingxarms I fraihmay' be moved laterally from'that line to" a -pioint, beneath"'the apparatus. Eacl1-, U v treating apparatus, furthermore, .includes a f I above pipe 17 having facing hooked ends 19 and---- adapted--to swing--downward and inward 'tbw'sir'ds teach other on pivots above said pipei17, to engage a rail lyingon the hot bed-12,- andto the-n rise, litting theraih to {position between gu-id-eS QO immediately below tl1e ,pipe 17. III aPP2lIEtlQt1S d5;the

arms 18 are shown turned only part way I r i downwardly and'inwwrdly toi-griipsithet reil- 1o 7 v neath the surface of thefhot-"bed 12betweenmils 14, at spaced points to engage laterally 5 any flit-lyingonith"hotbedbetween those with their hooked ends 19 "passing underoints; It will be understood"tlmt in operatiiih*-='tlie arm's"- continue' -tito turiftowards ,eaehr gthet tintilithyjz e substantitfll tiLtl-gm'loseegainst the rair with; thei1'*-ho'ok "l: ends hey the treatt cvppitratus andrholdi'r't; it there tra't'edin a paratus 16, out 0 f' the" way.

Th s eci fic commence and 'nrrange-v merit ofhmbhttiiis'rribyfwhich the rails brotight m ithe prbpersiti0n by the roller ax is' to brln'g them into "upright position with-their" -working *faces'iippermost, forms the subject matter of ifn-jappli'chtion for p atent filtl bY Frank EfHowells 'and Lester I L"; Leach; Mrch 21; 19%; Serial Number ular form of the inventionillustrated, a-

shafft 2 1 mountdftoturn in beitringsin-the fixed supports 22*611 thefou tensideof the roller lin'eand"*pairallel thereto, and hayi ing' -seeure'd th'e fc'etof"atf intervals 'grooved wheels orrolls" 23;*?around' which pass the; cables 24= which are" preferablyi'made' of in either;direetiongto theiextent: desired inp l g the l cable. JL dre-gfba r E25 of is cu ntdeabeve the-surface" lie 10? longi tudinrlly thereot side, ne'ict 'to shiiftfQljand' 'is- "that surface, turning the rail'f'on its ;l0ngitu:-*

at its outer l provided oitfits outer :side with brackets '26 secured thereto my ethe 'e ni opposite sides,

risefcarrying'the rail up to g th sodwr treatment. Whenthe means such as a socket and pivot'pin 27. The drag-bar 25 has on its other' sideopposite the brackets 26 similar-brackets *28 extending slightly below the surface of the --rolle1 -line and hot bed, and-cables-29 ure secured --to them ztnd; extend at right angles to the drag her along the'--=hot 'bedslightly below the surface, and constitute in effect s'continuations ofeablesfiey- The cables and brackets are of course arranged between rollers of the roller" line 10 and between ing outer 'llall engaging surfaccs curved on a Vei'ti'ca lpla'ne from g; point3l below the surface lof the hot bed, inwardly towards the drig bar and upwardlynnd then forrails let of the hot bed. Secured to the dragbar 25 at intervals "on the side facing the hotbed there are projecting brackets 30 hztv- 8O wardly ut the tofu {one gradustllyflinereas ingcur've. Thse brackets maybe'iin the form of vertical plates secured ettliei'rji'eer straight edges to "drag bar 25-by angle) bars 32." The"lower "portions" of" these curved I brackets normally engage the"lower edgeof the top part o'itthe rail IB l ying on theroller line; and wheii the drzigjbar fend -these brircketsare moved laterally by the action of'thef'cablesacro'ss the roller line and along I the hot bed, the co'ntactof thebrackets with" therailcauses it to-slide laterally over the surface without turning, on itslongitudi nal exisfrdm its" side' -positidn. In order to 'turn thefrail on itslongitudinal hxis and bring-" t Into upright positioniwith lts wee1f1ng {surface uppermost, ready to [he lifted to-pofsition in the treating apparatus,

stoPsj33arepla'ced=gtiintervals in a line across the hot bed'between rind parallelto the roller line and the i treating apparatus;

These stops 'may 'be inthe form -of short angle bars havingktt verticzil flange-34E extending trensyersely" of the liner of movemcnt"of the rails and p1"ojecting]sligl1tly above'the' surface of the hot bed in the path 7 ofthe 'rails', and h horizontal flange Figure fixed stops and the curvedjbra'ckets 30' in turning the rail trornside position tolup llght" POSllHOll is shownln Figurea3 din grainmziticallyj Ashere shown,- WhGIlf the boltedto it fixeds'upport 3611s shown in The cooperative: action of these A ward movement, of f brackets 30*7wil'llceuse 13ffgar'enoughfto bring .its lower flanged edge '42 in contact with the ,iproj eating, edge 34tof'the stop 33*tl1itt' edge of the raillwilli: ,cea'se to move; for-ward, 'andc further y=forlc the "opposite edge of the rail in contact with its inclined surface tonsli de or -rideup" Z the position the parts ,in dotted lines 1 Y 1,471,25Q I, I

after the rolling action is completed, "and the rail is in upright position 'beyoridthe stops, ready to be moved topositionbelow the treating apparatus. In the" present invention the cables 29 extendalong the hot bed beyond the oint Where the rails are turned andunderneath each ofthe treating devices mounted aboveit so as to carry the drag'bar and the. rail engaged by. it; to,

.vi'ce'seleoted. It will be seen,,therefore, that this rolling actionbringing the railto upf right position takes place automaticallyas' it is bemg moved by one continuous operation to the point onrthehotbed desired. As heretofore indicated, the operator has control of the dragging mechanism; and therefore after the rail hasabeen turned to upright position he allows it to proceed until it reaches a position beneath a treating,

apparatus which at'the'moment isidle, and then reverses the mechanism, causing the drag bar to leave the rail there and move back to the roller line to get another rail to be delivered to another treating apparatus ready to recelve 1t.

The rails which-have been treated and de posited on the hot bed are removed laterally over the surface. of thehot bed onthe side I opposite to the roller line as rapidly as they are deposited, so that they will not be in the way of incoming rails. To this end there f are several members 43, calledbuggies, lo-

cated between the skids on the hotbed and,

movable ontracks 44 from beneath the treatin each member, orbuggy, the latter being disposed in a line transverse to the lineiof movement, so that the pawls engage the rail at dilferent points longitudinally and give to it side motion, and thesepawls normally project slightly above the surface of the hot 7 bed with their operative ends facing in the opposite direction from the roller line, and

-.are yieldingly supported in theprojecting position but are provided with inclined rear nppersur-faces adapted to be depressed'be:

low the surface by contact with vand movement under a rail'lying on the hotbed. It will be understood that when a treated rail has been deposited on the hot bed, the members, or buggies, 43 are caused to move to a position slightly beyond it,the pawlsf46 beingdepressed in passing but resuming their normal projecting operative position immediately thereafter, and the members or bug: giesare caused to make a reverse movement along the hot bed, dragging the rail through the action of the pawls along the hot bed out of the way on the side opposite the roller i I V and for depositmg it on said support after treatment, and means for moving said. de-

line." V

"The treatment of rails by the 'Sandberg:

.,process requires sometime, but the constructo handling all of the rails in succession as fast as they are delivered bythe roller line, since during treatment each rail is out of .the way, and any. number of treating devices I I necessary-maybe in operation at one t1me. posltlon for treatment n theparticular de I lVhile 'we have illustrated and described one particular embodiment of our invention,

it ill be'understoo-dthat in its broader 'as-f spects the inventionrisynot' limitedto thespecific means shown, covering the various movements and actions described "producing thelesultsstatedr' combination with a rail conveyor, of a later,

ally extending support or hot bed for rails p 1. In anapparatusfor handling rails, the

at one side of saidconveyoiga device for a treating rails above said hot bed, means for moving by one continuous, action a railvlat- Yerally from said conveyor to said supporter,

hotbed-and along-said hot bedto a posi tion below said device, means for raisingsaid rail from said support for treatment in '.said device and for depositingit on'saidf support after treatment, and means formov of. the path, of rails being moved from the conveyor over thehot bed. 2. In an apparatus for handling rails,the

combinationwitha railconveyor, of a laterally extending vsupportorhot bed for rails, v

atonersi de or said conveyor, a plurality of devices for-treatingrails-mounted at different distances. from said-conveyorabove sald hot bed, means for moving rails laterally ing said deposited rail over said suppo-rtvout from said conve yor to and over sai-d hot bed I to selected positions under said treating de vices, means for raising for treatment a rail below any treating device out of the path of other rails on the hot bed and for depositrails'at one side of said'conveyor, a device for treating rails abovesaldhot bed,means formoving by one continuous action, a rail laterally from said conveyor to said sup- 7 port or hot bed and along said hot bed to a positionsbelow'said device and, for auto-v matically turning it fromia side position to an'upr'ight' position by vand duringsuclr ing it after treatment on the hot bed, and y means formoving said deposited railover ,the hotifbedout of the path of rails being p ed from theconveyor." j p j 3. In an apparatus for handling rails,gtl 1e -combination ;with a rail conveyor, of a lat- 'erally extending-support or hot bed' for movement, means forraising said rail from sald si p'port fortreatment ln said device lei'iit rdis'ta nes f'frdm' section 6f the icon; I tl1e ;en vey()r,*eaeh 'ineludilig means for lifting a veyor o eithe hotbed: e h rail ironijthe hpt bed'fof treatmenti'out of x 4. Inan"a jpai'atiisfof-hahdlihgrails; the the pa'th0f"0ther railsbn the hot 'bed'and' 5 eoinbiiiatienwith a rail d 11*vey0r,- 0f:a' lat- 'foi thei'iLde'po'sitilig it onthe liot bed, means erallyeXtendiI'ig supp'of't iir'hot bed foi." ai'lsl for moving, a raili i'oin" said eonveydl' over 2lt"O11QSlCl6 of'said con'w'reyoija plurality of saidhot bed t0"a position belowany selected devfies' for treating ra-i'ls mduntedat dif" treating dew ilc 'eandfor automatically turnferent distanees*frtim'"said env eyor -aboi einguit on its' l0ngitudinalaxis to upright v'r "said suppeft "dub- 6f 1 the 19 'said"h0t' bed: means for tmovi ng railslafi- Igosition by an'tl d ui'ingsai'd movement andv 7 tratin oi movement *6; In'am'apparatns fof handling het' rails erallfj from' saideoni eyor'toandnversaic "means fe i*inoving' treated rails deposited hot:bethtdselectedfipositiens under: said onthe hoii'bed'Over the hotfi'bedout oi the' devices-and for autefnatiefally turn path of rails'ii' oving thereon from the corn 5 'iqj r-ighti30siti5n byandfdutin'g"itsmove 7. In an app a'rat lsifof handling hot'i ails ment, means for raising for tfeatmenta rail fltfjm' the rolls; the eomb'inati'onwith a rail beldi v alifi treatingffdevice out Of-the-path icor'ii 'eyoi"bnffWlii'ch fthe rails normally lie 1 0f""othei"- rails -on--'the "hot *bedtr an'd" f0i" ontheir sides *andfmove ,endwise, of a lat; depositing it 'aftervt-l eatine'zit tbnf tli'e""h0t='erallyextending support or'hotbe d for:

betP-andmeans*fof*niQvingeaelrilefiosite'd said 'i ails atene'side ef said coni'eypi', of

' 7 "er the ho't bed but {of thpa'tli OfPa plurality of rail Cooling and treatingdevra1ls-bein1q in'ovedfrdniflthe conveyo vicesspae'dapartand mountedabove said a 5. ln 'anappai'atu's 'fof hzi ic'lliifg'hot rails hot bed parallel' ft0 said Conveyor with clear frdmtherollsfthe ombin'ation with. a rail spaces beneath for the moveinent"of rails,

25 eonve'yor' "'onivhi'eh the"i'ails noi nalfi lie each including means forlifting a rail from ontheifusidesffand move iendfiviseglof a latsaid 1 hot bed below it nieans'rjnoving across erallygextendirig sup ort or; hot "bed-fo said conveyor andalong said'liot bed hav said-Tails atone s'ide Of said co veyor; offing parts" projecting above "their J sin faiees a rail "cooling andheating,d vice'. above'fio engaget-he outer-sidebf said rill [LOH the s aidhqt'bed inelu dingfmeans for lifting a 'con veyo'r and move it' latefally therefrom v rail'frm said-hot bed*belbw it, meansmow over the'hot' fbed toposition under said inga'cro'ss said conveyorandalongsaid-lht treating apparatus, means for reciprocatbed having parts projecting abd've their "ing said xnowiingmeans'fin'its path of ,niove- '85 msurfacesfto engage the, ute-'1' side *Of 'said? mentandfor eon'trolling the extent of n10ve 35 railonfthe eonveyer and 'mo've it laterally ment,'anda utoinatic r'neansfoi turning said thei e'fi n everth hotbed to"position-11nd rail. ondts 'longitudinitl -axis into upright I def said' treatingapparatusfinieans fen re-f positidn by' and-during its movement over cipioeatiiig said moving'ineans in itspatfh thefhotbed:bef0re1eaehing said apparapf 'Ihm'ein'e'nt fin'd*fbr eontrelli'ngthe t'te ntftus,inean's'adaptedtb reciprocatefalong said i andnimabmatic nieans forihot "bed frdrn 'poinjts beloi'v said treating turning-said rail'k niits longitlidinahaxis devicesin theopposite direc'tiq'n frem saith intd -upi ight position by and? during" its "conveyor a'ndto' automatically engage Tails nativement (Werthe hotbedbefoie reachin'g rfdefjdsite'd"nlsaicl hotbed after-treatment, said apparatusfi andmovet-hem over the hot bed'oiit of the 'Wayy0finc01nin g rails to'be treated and fromthe rolls, the co nbinatidn with railf' means foi operating and controlling said eonveyo -fr'on which the" 'rails" ndrnially lie last *Inentiii'ne'd reciprocating means. I on theirsidesand niove;endwise',fof"a lat- In testimony whereofhve hereunto affix" v era' lly "extendingsup'pbi't or hotT-'bedf01- 0ui'"signatures g said Tails at one side'efjconv'eyorja EDXVARD FQENTVVISLEIQ pltifalit y offiail' eooliiigf'and tratifig de f FRANKEQHOWVELLS. vicesfmeunted' abo ve saidfnhot bed'atdif LESTER L- DEACI-I. 

